Reply to the materialist who disbelieves in the Deity and says that the world is eternal.
Yesterday some
one was saying,
“The world is originated in
time: this
heaven is passing
away, and God is its inheritor.”
A philosopher
said, “How do you know (its)
temporal origin? How should the rain know the
temporality of the cloud?
2835. You are not even a mote of the (celestial) revolution: how should you know
the temporality of the sun?
The little worm
that is buried
in filth—how
should it know the end
and beginning of the earth? You have heard this by rote from your father: through
foolishness you have become involved
in this
(belief).
What is the demonstrative argument for its
temporality?
Tell (me)
or else keep silence
and do
not seek (indulge in) excessive talk.”
He said, “One
day I saw two parties
searching in this deep sea,
2840. (Engaged) in disputation and controversy and
desperate battle: a crowd gathered round those two persons.
I went towards the
crowded multitude and took notice
of their (the disputants') affair.
One was saying,
‘The sky will pass away: without any doubt, this edifice has
a builder.’
The other said, ‘It is eternal
and timeless: it has no
builder, or else
it is (itself)
the
builder.’ He (his
adversary) said, ‘You have
denied the Creator, the Producer of day
and night and
the
Giver of sustenance.’
2845. He (the
philosopher) said,
‘Without
clear evidence, I will
not listen to
that which an ignoramus has accepted by rote.
Come, bring the proof and evidence,
for never in the
world will I hearken
to this without
proof.’
‘The proof,’ he replied,
‘is within my
soul: my evidence is hidden
within my soul.
You, from weakness of eye,
are not seeing the
new moon: (if) I am seeing it, do not you
be angry with me.’
There was much
debate, and the people became perplexed as to the beginning
and end of
this
well-ordered celestial sphere.
2850. He (the
pious man) said, ‘Friend, within me is a (decisive) proof: I have a (manifest)
sign indicating the temporal origin of the sky.
I possess
the certainty: for him that
has certain knowledge the
token thereof is that
he will go into
the fire.
Like the inmost feelings of love in lovers, that proof, (you must) know, does not come (to
utterance) on the tongue.
The inmost meaning of my words is not
apparent, except (in) the
pallor and haggardness of my face.
Tears and blood roll on
my cheeks and
become the proof of His (the Beloved's)
comeliness and beauty.’
2855. He (the
philosopher) replied, ‘I do not deem these things to be such a
proof as would be
a manifest sign
to
the vulgar.’
He (the
other) said, ‘When
a base and a genuine
coin boast, saying (to each other), “You art
base; I am good and valuable,”
Fire is the final
test: (the test
is) that these
two rivals should be dropped
into the fire.
(Then) the vulgar
and the elect
will become acquainted with their (real) state and will advance from opinion
and doubt to certain knowledge.
Water and fire, O (dear)
soul, are the test
for the pure and the base
coin that is hidden.
2860. Let me and
you, both of us, go
into the fire and
become a lasting proof for the perplexed.
Let me and
you, both of us, fall into the sea,
for you and
I are a sign unto this multitude.’
Even so they did and entered
the fire: both cast
themselves upon
the heat of the fire.
The God-proclaiming man
who engaged in
controversy was saved,
while that bastard (impostor)
was burnt in
the
fire.
Hear from the muezzin this announcement, to the confusion of the foolish transgressors,
2865. That this name
(Mohammed) has not been
burnt (destroyed) by Death, since
its bearer was a prince and
most noble.
In the course
of time hundreds of thousands of the
veils of the unbelievers have
been rent by this laying
down of stakes.
When they (the
devout men and
the
philosopher)
made the
wager, the truth
prevailed as regards
immortality and evidentiary
miracles and the answer
(given to unbelievers).
I perceived
that he who spoke (in support)
of the priority (of
non-existence) and of the temporal
origin of the celestial sphere
was victorious and in the right.”
The unbeliever's argument is always
shamefaced:
where is a single sign that
indicates the
truth of that unbelief?
2870. Where in this world is (to be found) a single minaret in praise
(honour) of the unbelievers,
so that it should be a sign
(of their veracity)?
Where is (to be
found) a single pulpit where
a preacher commemorates the life of an unbeliever?
The face of gold and
silver
coins, from (bearing) their (the prophets') names, is giving a token of this truth till the Resurrection.
The dies of the kings
are ever being
changed: behold the die of
Ahmad (Mohammed) till the end of
the world.
Show (me) the name of a single unbeliever
on the design (stamped) on the face of any piece of
silver or gold!
2875. Even (supposing that you) do
not admit (arguments), behold this Miracle, (manifest)
like the sun, hundred-tongued, whereof the name is
Ummu ’l-Kitáb.
None dares either steal
(take away) a single
letter thereof or add to the plain Word.
Become a
friend to the
conqueror, that you mayst conquer: beware, do not
become a
friend to the vanquished, O misguided man!
The unbeliever's argument is
just this, that he says, “I see no place of abode except
this external
(world).”
He never reflects
that, wherever there is anything external, that
(object) gives information of hidden wise purposes.
2880. The usefulness of every external object is, indeed, internal: it is latent, like the beneficial quality in medicines.
No comments:
Post a Comment